Fiber optic connectors are used for terminating a fiber optic cable whereby a given length of the optical fiber is stripped of its cladding and exposed for insertion through a connector component, such as a ceramic, forwardly projecting ferrule. A tip of the fiber is exposed at a distal end of the ferrule for mating with the tip of another fiber from a complementary connector.
Many such fiber optic connectors are readily terminated and/or assembled to a fiber optic cable in a mass production or mass terminating environment. However, field termination of fiber optic cables in connectors often is extremely difficult because of the relatively small size of the connectors in relation to a person's hands and fingers.
One example of such a fiber optic connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,683, issued Nov. 5, 1991. The fiber optic connector of that application is a strain relief connector wherein an internally threaded sleeve or backshell member is threadable onto the back end of an externally threaded connector body having a ceramic ferrule projecting from the front end thereof. Fine strength strands of the fiber optic cable are clamped between the internal and external threads of the backshell member and connector body, respectively, to provide strain relief on the cable. The overall connector is very small for a person to grip, in relation to the forces necessary person to grip, in relation to the forces necessary to thread the backshell member over the strength strands and clamp the strands between the threads of the two connector components.
This invention is directed to providing a tool for use by an operator in order to retain components of the connector while an operator manipulates other components of the connector, particularly for field termination in the fiber optic connector art.